Faculty Consultation Method Based on Still Photography

"I’ve shared these photos with my students, colleagues and friends… and they were amazed! These photos not only show what we do but also how the students feel about their experience. April Dawn spent hours in our class, taking thousands of pictures. Her endurance was amazing as it was a six-hour surgery lab. We have real patients, and the students know that it is a high-stakes situation. The students, however, usually say it is their favorite class at CPP. Through these photographs, we can see not only their skills at work, but how they are learning these skills. It was especially rewarding for me to see how engaged the students were during class. As it is a stressful, fast-paced class with multiple groups, I am not always able to see how students are receiving the information. The pictures allowed me to see how to improve my teaching and let others see how much the students have learned in our program. Thank you, April Dawn and CAFE, for this unique, creative feedback."

"I am thankful for the guidance and photographic feedback I received during this project. Having this visual documentation provided me a more comprehensive assessment of my teaching, including my classroom management, student engagement, and instructional strategies. By capturing these moments in real-time, it allowed me and the instructional designer to visually pinpoint specific instances where I could make improvement to my teaching methods. Overall, I feel that integrating photography into the faculty consultation process better promotes reflection, enabling educators to gain further insights into their strengths and areas for growth, to ultimately enhance effectiveness in the classroom."

"Faculty Consultation Method Based on Still Photography is an excellent resource to help educators at Cal Poly. April Dawn respectfully captured black and white images during an evening lecture and reflected feedback regarding use of body language, interaction with students, movement throughout the classroom, etc. Her perspective is astute - even helping me to understand that by enacting some of the concepts from the lesson plans I have been demonstrating "learning by doing." I received valuable information during the feedback session from April Dawn and Victoria , which I intend to use to enhance the learning experience for students in future classes. Thank you to CAFE for this opportunity to gather valuable comments from colleagues."

"I am out of words to express how thankful and honored I am for being part of this project. The story of the class that you created on the website, and the book are so incredible. All the details of the project designed so intentionally and artistically have shown me a different and positive lens of how learning happens in my classroom ❤. It was so wonderful to see smiles, laughs and other student expressions that showed that they were engaged and enjoying the learning activities. I don’t really have the mental capacity to observe this while teaching because I have all my attention into the different activities and the content that needs to be delivered. Your work really took me back and allowed me somehow to take part of it from the learner side. So interesting and fantastic!! The photos, the website and the book are a showcase of your amazing artistic abilities that I admire, and I continue blowing me away every time that I get to learn about any of the projects that you work on."

“The relationships that I built with these students were very impactful for me, and the photos helped memorialize the classroom experience. Seeing the photos for the first time brought out a powerful emotional response, and I am reminded of that each time that I see them.“

"In the Spring 2024 semester, April came to observe my ENG 2200 Introduction to English Linguistics class to perform the Faculty Consultation Method Based on Still Photography in the Classroom. At first, I was a little nervous: Being observed is one thing, but being photographed while teaching is different. Would the students agree to appear in pictures? Will they feel tense and “act” rather than learn? What would we all look like in the pictures?... Serious? Bored? Impatient? Distracted? Tired? Theatrically excited?

But as the class unfolded, I forgot the camera was even there, as April had a way of blending into the background, seamlessly moving through the room like she had always belonged there. Having her there gave me a chance to step outside myself and witness my work literally from a third-person perspective, the angle I had only read in writing but not seen before. However, when people write their narrative about your class after a peer observation, there is always a chance for that sly impostor syndrome to creep in, saying, “They are just being too nice.” It is much harder to argue with the hard evidence that pictures present. I remember that during the meeting when we reviewed the pictures, April said, “In this photo, the students are talking, engaged, and smiling,” and I nodded to agree. That day, the impostor syndrome, who is usually quick to speak, had nothing to add."

”This project was a wonderful reminder of how much I love the discipline of soil science and what a privilege it is to introduce students to it. One picture I find especially inspiring is of four women students intently taking notes and photographs together - the future of our world is safer in their hands! On a separate note, I used the project in my evaluation documents as I did not get a peer observation in 2023; I hope the committee will see it and take it as evidence of the active and collaborative learning I try to foster in my class. Thank you for this poignant and beautiful record of me and my students."

"In ECE 1101, my aspiration is to extend beyond the role of an educator; I prefer to serve as a guiding presence in our shared learning journey. Whether giving encouraging thumbs-ups during exercises or engaging in inspirational conversations, the collective passion for teaching brightens the classroom. This emphasizes the collaborative efforts between my students and me on the path to mutual success."